


Making Things

by Familiae



Series: Crimes Against Decency [7]
Category: Original Work
Genre: First Time, M/M, Multi, Nudity, Shapeshifting, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:43:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 16,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22100101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Familiae/pseuds/Familiae
Series: Crimes Against Decency [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538989





	1. What We Want

Liam giggled, winding his fat little fingers around Apep’s hair and giving it a sharp tug. I was prepared to rush for his safety but, to my surprise, Apep smiled. A big goofy grin that spoke of nothing but the most extreme delight—he made no move to tear the child away or harm it.

“Izaac, look!” he hissed, making a frown appear on his husband’s face.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Izaac spoke cautiously. His hand was draped over Apep’s shoulder, but he made no move to help Apep with the child.

“I just want to eat him up,” Apep hummed, pleased.

I rose to my feet, ready to snatch my child back from Apep, but Izaac sent me such a withering glare, that I found myself flopping back down on my chair.

“Is that really necessary?”

Liam giggled at he pulled at Apep’s hair, leaning his forehead against the demon’s.

“I want one,” Apep declared, hoisting Liam up, where he burst into more mad giggles.

Izaac seemed to freeze in place, his eyes growing wide. The surprise only lasted a few seconds however, before his face was ordered back again in a mask of neutrality. He sighed, leaning against Apep, his free hand coming to rest at his lover’s knee, giving it a small squeeze.

“We can make some,” he said, closing his eyes and sighing wistfully.

I had to admit I was rather confused. Should I feel relieved or threatened?


	2. Shedding Season

Apep had warned me, as she reluctantly handed the fragile thing over, that she was frisky. That I would most likely get bitten. She had given me a look then—her eyebrows furrowed, her lips pursed—that I knew was concern for the child. I don’t think she liked to be parted from her newborns for even a second—I was just a special exception because I was the father.

Despite the warnings, however, Malin was rather calm in my grasp. She fidgeted at first, and poked her snout against my hands and arms, but never really bit. Maybe this would change, but I was simply enjoying the view so far.

Her scales were shiny and smooth—a rusty orange color that caught the light and gave a metallic sheen to them. She had dark, almost black, smudges over the tip of her snout, under her eyes, and on the tip of her tail. Her underbelly was made up of creamy scales, her slitted eyes a rich gold. 

A rumbling growl made me look up—Ryuu was reared up, flicking a black tongue at Izaac’s nose. The feathers along his spine and wings were fluffed up, making him look twice his size. Despite this, Izaac was smiling, in fact, cooing at the reptile. Ryuu’s tongue flicked his nose once more, and he cocked his head to the side. Softly, Izaac blew a puff of air at his face, causing Ryuu to give that same rumbling growl I had caught just before.

“I_zaac_,” Apep looked uncomfortable, clearly just waiting to snatch the child away from both of us.

Izaac smiled at Apep, his eyes sparkling with mischief. It seemed he was incredibly pleased with his child—smiles seemed to come with more ease now and more often. “Don’t worry,” he hummed, lifting a hand to smooth back Ryuu’s feathers, “he’s very sweet despite the racket.”

Apep nodded, offering Izaac a half-smile, but mostly, she looked worried. I had thought she’d be more aloof about her children—didn’t snakes lay their eggs and leave? And usually, she was much more relaxed, clucked around the children like a mother hen, yes, but did not linger and stalk over us, flinching at our every move.

“They’re about to shed soon,” I was startled out of my reverie by her quiet voice, and I found myself staring, blinking stupidly at her.

“Will they be OK?” suddenly, I was clutching at Malin just a bit harder, trying to stop her from moving to briskly—as if that would save her from harm.

Apep nodded, once, twice, “Yes, but it makes them uncomfortable, and they’re too young to measure their bites or their venom.”

Aah, so that was it.

I tore my eyes away from Apep’s concerned face to look at Malin carefully—despite my past experiences, I didn’t really know much about snakes. I knew only what I’ve seen—Apep would always whimper that she itched all over, and rub her head against everything in an attempt to abate her discomfort when she was about to shed. I knew that she would lose her temper more easily, and tended to be much friskier, but aside from that, I wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with Malin in such a situation. I hardly planned to be the caretaker of a snake—Nana counted, I suppose, but she could take care of herself, and hardly asked for help when it came to her scales.

And to think, once upon a time, I’d have given anything to be free from these sorts of reptiles.

“I think she’s just glad to see you again,” Apep’s voice was thoughtful, her eyes fixed on Malin.

At that, I couldn’t help but smile, running my fingers across the scales along her back, “I’m glad to see her too.”

When I looked up, I noticed Izaac was looking at me. To my side, Apep was smiling to herself, and I suddenly recalled why I didn’t like snakes.

But nothing to be done about that now: grin and bear it. Learn to deal with snake shedding, and ignore Izaac’s pleased looks.


	3. Puppy-Dog Snakes

Liam was a curious enough child—he liked seeing new things, and tried to stick his nose into whatever he found interesting. His only downfall was his shyness—he would rarely wander three steps away from me if it could be helped. When someone tried to coo at him, he’d duck behind my legs and try to hide his face. It wasn’t until he had seen the person several times that he’d finally start wandering from behind me, and start showing a more open interest in his visitors. But even then, I’d be difficult to catch him more than three feet away from Will or myself. He would simply refuse to keep us out of his sight, as if somehow being this close, would guarantee him safety.

So I was, reasonably, very nervous about introducing him to his new siblings. Not to mention—I was afraid of their reaction too. (They, because Apep and Izaac both stubbornly insisted that Ryuu, Malin, and Liam were all siblings, despite the fact that Ryuu shared not a drop of blood with me. Not that it mattered—I supposed, that would’ve been harder to explain, and Ryuu and Malin were so far, inseparable. It’d be almost cruel to suggest that Liam was something other than Ryuu’s sibling).

Not to mention they were both snakes—and very sizable ones too.

Ryuu was covered in jet black scales, his underbelly was a similar silvery color than that of his eyes. He had two wings sprouting from his back, and a line of small little feathers lined his spine and formed a crown around his head. His length, so far, was a bit over two feet—rather large for a newborn snake, but considering their mother’s size, I could hardly complain. Malin was a bit smaller, slimmer as well, covered in orangey scales along her back with black accents and a creamy underbelly.

Both were as sweet as sugar so far. They curled around my shoulders and each other, eyeing their surroundings with lazy curiosity. Ryuu would flick his tongue at something, and soon enough, Malin was there, nosing the object of their curiosity. Besides openly curious, they did not do much. Neither had bitten me yet, at least.

I tried to explain to Liam as best as I could, but he was just a child. I didn’t know how well he understood me, but he seemed to understand enough to know to be quiet and careful. When he first caught sight of the two reptiles, he seemed curious enough. His lips parted slightly, he took a tentative step towards me. I smiled to encourage him, but if he noticed, he did not show it. He looked wary, eyeing them with a slight frown furrowing his brows.

“Malin is the orange one,” I explained, dropping to one knee when I stood a foot away from him so he could inspect them at his height, “the black one with the feathers is Ryuu.”

Liam’s eyes were as big as saucers as he approached them. He flinched when Ryuu moved his head, but otherwise barely reacted. He stood there, in front of me, peering at the two snakes, not daring to even breathe. Malin turned her head in his direction and flicked her tongue at him, and Liam stared back, unsure of what to do.

“You can pet them on their backs,” I explained, showing him how by pressing my fingers against Malin’s scales—a few inches away from her head, and trailing them down her length.

Liam didn’t move at first—his fingers twitched, and he seemed to be considering following my lead, but before he summoned the courage to actually stroke her, Malin moved her head, flicking her tongue and craning around towards her brother, making Liam take a sudden step back.

“Don’t worry,” I tried again, “it’s cold here, so they’re very sluggish.”

He nodded, though he still didn’t move. I shifted again, curling my fingers against Malin, and tugging her forward—tugging her, because she was surprisingly strong. Apep had warned me that I had to be firm with them, but I shouldn’t fight them either. Malin seemed to understand what I wanted, however, because she turned to face Liam once more, eyeing him curiously.

“He’s your brother,” I tried to explain to her, and at the sound of my voice, she looked up, fixing her eyes on mine, “the one your mother told you about. Ah—you remember, right?”

She regarded me cautiously, turning her head around to look at Liam once more, then turning again to look at her brother. Ryuu regarded her for a few moments, then turned around to nibble at his wings. After a while, Malin bobbed her head in a nod.

Liam gasped at that, his eyes growing wider still, and his mouth dropping open. “She can understand?” his voice was full of wonder.

I smiled at that, “Sometimes she acts like she doesn’t, but I’m pretty sure she does. They’re both pretty smart.”

Liam showed no direct signs of having heard me, but he stepped closer, peering at the snake. “Can I pet you?” his voice was low and soft.

Malin seemed to consider the question—cocking her head to the side, but after a few breaths, she nodded her head, making Liam smile in response.

He was slow in moving at first, running his fingers along her back and quickly withdrawing his hand. He turned his face to look at Malin, but she only stared back. He smiled to himself then, and he tried petting her again, this time placing his whole hand against the scales and slowly running his fingers past them.

“It’s so smooth,” he whispered, and I smiled.

I was about to agree, when suddenly, Ryuu moved, flicking his tongue at Liam’s hand. I stiffened, ready to snatch his mouth away should he dare make a move, but he only nuzzled Liam’s hand, causing the child to giggle, and pet him as well.

Needy snake.

Liam was delighted, however. He cooed at his siblings, smoothing back Ryuu’s feathers, and stroking Malin’s shiny scales, until both snakes were curled around his arms. I was stiff as a board, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to do much if they decided to bite, but besides nuzzle him, their mouths were mostly out of the equation. Eventually, Ryuu decided that Liam’s shoulders were comfortable, and proceeded to curl over them, setting a wing flat against Liam’s arms. Malin followed her brother’s lead, but instead of putting all their conjoined weight over Liam’s shoulder, she tried curling around his chest, nosing the neck of his shirt, before finally sliding between the fabric and his skin and disappearing into his clothing.

“Where are you going?” whispered Liam, peering down his shirt where Malin had disappeared.

To his delight, she peeked up, her nose poking out of the shirt, and flicked Liam’s nose with her tongue.

He shrieked with a bout of giggles, accusing Malin of the vial act of tickling him, which prompted her to do it again. He giggled again, and soon enough, Ryuu was attracted enough to the commission to participate himself. Liam petted them, and mock-scolded them, which they seemed to take to well enough. Malin shoved her nose against his mouth, and he spat, pushing her head gently away, and grinning down at her. 

It became evident to me that the children were playing now, and that I should probably step back, but I was on edge. Both Malin and Ryuu seemed to have taken a quick liking to Liam, but accidents did happen, and I wouldn’t want to risk Liam’s health because of simple carelessness.

So I stuck close by, watching the two reptiles weave in and out of Liam’s clothing, nuzzling and nudging him. Ryuu whacked Liam over the head with a wing, but besides that, nothing too rough seemed to be going on. Liam talked to them sparingly at first, but soon enough I was surprised at the string of babble that dribbled from his lips. He talked about his room, and his toys, and even invited them to play with him there later. The twins seemed to nod eagerly at that, and both seemed to buzz with new excitement, weaving and trying to rip Liam’s shirt with their renewed slithering.

“I see you’re getting along,” I hummed.

His eyes were bright with excitement once he looked up at me, “Y-Yeah,” he blinked, “I like them.”

Both Ryuu and Malin seemed to catch that, because they were suddenly rubbing their heads against Liam’s like puppy dogs. Ryuu flapped his wings as he angled himself closer, and Malin seemed positively thrilled by this new brotherly finding.

And Liam smiled, looking immensely pleased by their reaction, reaching a hand to tentatively pet them both.

I smiled at the sight, “They can stay with us for a few days if you’d like.”

At that, Liam seemed surprise, and he flashed me a large smile, “Can they sleep in my room?”

“Well, I don’t know about that...”

The look he flashed me was utterly heart-broken.

“But, I’ll think about it,” I relented.

Liam smiled, Malin yawned, and Ryuu tried to peer down her throat.

Guess this would be what the rest of my weekend will look like.


	4. Dolls and Twigs

I wasn’t sure if it was because life was easier as a huge reptile or simply personal preference, but Ryuu seemed to spend entirely too much time as a snake. 

He’d act as normal—cuddle with Malin and Liam, play with his siblings, and swallow down food as if it were water, except he was covered in scales.

It was funny because he had asked me permission to do it. He had told me, in that carelessly blunt way of his that he knew I was unnerved by snakes, but he’d appreciate it if he was allowed to spend time as one when he was within the school.

It felt cruel to deny his request, so I hadn’t. I allowed it, and from the way his head had suddenly snapped up, I could tell he didn’t believe I would.

He was, however, my child first and foremost. A snake after. And if it was more comfortable for him this way then...

But not a lot of people agreed with me. He unnerved much more than just me—the children were in a panic—and even Noah was looking apprehensive as the jet black snake slithered past him.

“He’s a bit, well, big,” Will had said when I had taken the concern with him.

And that he was.

Liam giggled as Ryuu flicked him with his tongue, the crown of feathers around his head ruffling with the motion of his head. With more hysteric giggles, Liam flung himself at Ryuu, arms around his muzzle, and his forehead touching Ryuu’s.

He whispered something at Ryuu then, and like some twisted puppy, Ryuu’s tail thumped against the ground. He looked immensely pleased at Liam clung onto him.

I had to smile at that—maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

Malin was shaping up into quite the young woman—willful and mischievous as she had always been, but her developing appetites were quickly growing legendary within the school. Some of the stories I had heard left even _me_ impressed, but despite it all, she was still her daddies’ girl, always quick to come to my side when she needed comfort, or simply hungered for my company.

Most of her appetites were reserved to her brothers—Ryuu and Liam gathered more than just attention from her company, and they both seemed to relish in it. As a result, however, Nat was dragged into it too, and she seemed to be delighted with Malin’s wit and charm. They would often be seen whispering and giggling amongst each other, leaning on the boys and filling the air with their pretty words.

I was unsurprised then, when older boys and even girls started spilling into my office—some claiming they needed something, others that they wanted to help little ol’ me. All would drop quick glances at the pictures over my desk—particularly Malin’s—and some would even gather the courage to mention her in conversation. I guessed they were gauging my reaction, but their main intent seemed to be in catching glimpses of Malin. After all, as my daughter, she was bound to drop by my office at some point—and she did so often. She was nothing if not dutiful when it came to her time with me, and was always delighted to climb onto my lap to rest as I stroked her long hair regardless of my current company.

She could be mischievous and a little temptress, but she was bliss to be around, even with her little nervous antics and not-so-harmless jokes. Altogether, she was too much her mother’s daughter—surely most of that attitude came from Apep’s side. 

It was as I reflected on my mischievous little imp of a daughter, that Ethan burst into my office, oddly flustered—I’d even say outright upset.

He stopped before my desk, seemed to think about his words carefully then he said:

“Malin’s causing a lot of trouble recently, isn’t she?”

Something told me I wouldn’t like this.

“Her mother is chaos,” I wasn’t sure what to say, so better remind Ethan of the facts here.

“She’s Ryuu’s too, but Ryuu’s fits are nothing and little less when compared to Malin’s.”

That was up for debate—as far as I knew, Malin’s hadn’t made anyone’s head burst open. He was much calmer about it, yes, but still.

“What did she do?”

“Broke a boy’s leg,” Ethan was frowning.

That was certainly troubling.

“Did she push him?”

“No. She broke it in half. With her bare hands. Snapped it like a twig.”

“What did—?”

“Does it matter?” Ethan snapped, and I flinched. He was right of course—Malin shouldn’t be going around breaking legs. With her explosive temper, it could have been anything from a look to the lack of one.

Ethan wrung his hands through his hair and sighed. I considered calling Noah to fetch him away, but that was a bit rude.

“Her story is that the boy was going to hurt Nat and Liam—claims she saw it with her own eyes. Her classmates say she just walked up to this boy and flung him around like a doll for no reason.”

I stared.

She saw—? Could it be? But Apep had said—

“What?” Ethan seemed to notice something was amiss. His eyebrow was arched, and the look he was shooting me was the kind saved for the mentally addled.

Apep could see the future, he said inheriting the ability was rare but—

The words died in my throat. That was a secret, of course. Only those very close to Apep knew, and for good reason. If just anyone knew he was a seer, his enemies would try to take advantage of it, and his children would be put in danger. There were rumors, of course but for the most part...

“I’ll talk with her.”

Ethan frowned, he was about to protest, but instead pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I think this requires more than a ‘talk’.”

“I’ll talk to her,” I repeated, trying to ignore his dismayed look, “she’ll be back with Izaac by the end of the month anyway. I know what I’m doing here, OK?”

He didn’t like it; that much was obvious. He frowned, and gave a tight nod. He still looked like he wanted to speak as he turned around and walked out the door.


	5. Unknowing Replacement

He sat at the edge of the bed, looking over his shoulder at the figure peacefully sleeping beneath the bed covers. The darkness made only the most prominent of features stick out in the faint light of the moon. The planes of his face—the bones, the sharp nose, and the smooth lips, slightly parted as the figure breathed. The closed eyelids, and the hands—relaxed, at his side. 

He slept on his side—Will didn’t know that. A leg was sprawled out to keep his balance, and an arm was tucked under his body in what must have been keenly uncomfortable. He almost wanted to shift Markus then, just tilt him upwards, just the slightest bit so when he awoke it was not with a stiff limb that ached with the slightest movement.

He wanted so much to touch him—wrap his own fingers over the resting hand, to breathe in his scent, but he dared not move from where he sat. The slightest bit and Markus would be awake and Will...

Well, safe was to say, it wouldn’t be pleasant.

But he allowed himself to enjoy this much freedom at least. A part of him knew it was wrong—sneaking into a room, just to watch someone sleep—but he promised himself that it’d be just a peek. He just wanted—needed—to see Markus. He had been away for so long...

Not that he didn’t enjoy it. Edward was both a patient and a pleasant teacher, and he was never unkind to Will. No, in fact, quite the opposite. Maybe Will would even go so far as to say that Edward was entirely too tolerant. He enjoyed Edward’s company, of that he had no complaints.

Except, of course, how much time he’d spent without seeing Markus.

In the darkness, Will bit his lip, suddenly becoming keenly aware of the time and how late it was. He needed to leave—Edward was waiting for him, but he was incredibly reluctant to part from Markus’ side. Inane fears with no real foundation circled his mind—what if something happened to Markus? A thief? A murderer? Some serial killer?

But, no. Markus was safe. He had the others here—and the other Will.

He sighed, setting his feet against the floor and slowly rising to his feet. He had seen Markus—confirmed with his own eyes that Markus was well. That would have to be enough.

Movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and Will immediately stiffened. Instinct kicked in, and he smoothly turned, his hands curling to fists.

In his bed, Markus groaned softly, a leg shifting from underneath the covers. Before he could check himself, Will gasped, quickly stumbling back to the open window. Markus turned in bed, unpinning his arm from beneath his body and squinting at the darkness. Transfixed by the sight as he was, it took Will a few heartbeats before he noticed that Markus was looking at him.

“You came back,” Markus’ voice floated up from the bed, hoarse and slurring with sleep. It made Will’s heart tighten in his chest.

His mind struggled to come up with a reply, but his mouth was dry, and it felt like his throat was closing up on him. He wouldn’t have been able to speak, even if his addled brains could have managed to put together a coherent string of words.

“I thought you’d come tomorrow,” Markus murmured.

For some reason Will wouldn’t have been able to fathom, his body’s first instinct was to nod, a twitchy, spastic movement. Half a second later, it occurred to him that, in no way, shape, or form, was that how a normal human being would react and he felt himself stiffening where he stood—and his cheeks to flush with heat.

“I... I...” he couldn’t even bring himself to speak. His heart gave a tight squeeze in his chest, and he suddenly felt short of breath. He knew he shouldn’t be speaking, that he should leave, but at the moment, he couldn’t think up a single word. Not with Markus’ mismatched eyes on him, not when he was eyeing Will with a small coy smile on his lips.

“Why don’t you come to bed?” Markus said with that same small smile that made Will’s heart stop in his chest.

He knew he shouldn’t. He knew he should make some excuse—lie through his teeth and leave. He could always sneak inside the house and weasel out a window before anyone would notice, but not with Markus. He felt his knees go weak, and his legs to shake beneath him—he couldn’t fathom speaking, never mind lying. He didn’t know how he managed to take those few steps—five, they were five—to Markus’ bed, but somehow, he did. He felt incredibly awkward too—his cheeks bright red. He didn’t know where to look, didn’t even know where to put his hands. With little choice, he hid them behind his body, and wrung out his wrist with the opposite hand.

Markus flashed a little small smile, and Will felt dizzy. He hadn’t even noticed he had been holding his breath. Markus’ hand flashed up to the seam of his shirt, giving it a slight tug that Will had no power to decline. Eagerly, he followed Markus’ hints and slid to the bed—barely daring to think. Not with Markus this close.

He tugged at Will until only his leg was hanging over the bed. With that same smile, he nuzzled Will’s shoulder, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin of his neck.

“M-Markus,” Will couldn’t keep the surprise out of his tone. Every nerve in him knew he needed to leave—that he shouldn’t be there. It screamed and blared in his mind, and he wanted nothing more than to get away—

But this was Markus. Markus, warm and breathing, and touching him and his touch was hot, incredibly hot, but not unpleasantly so. He wanted more of Markus’ touch. He wanted to press his lips against Markus’ and taste him, and hold him and—

“I missed you,” Markus’ voice was husky and deliciously near his ear. His arm wrapped around Will, tugging him closer.

“I missed you too,” Will blurted out before he could even think.

He knew, of course, that it was not he Markus missed. He missed the other Will, the Will that held him in his arms every night, and smiled with him. He was not that Will—would never be, but even though his mind reminded him, his heart didn’t listen. It was beating faster by the minute, and a part of him wanted so strongly to believe that Markus missed _him_. Not the other—_him_.

Markus set his warm hand against Will’s cheek, tilting his head so that Will was looking directly into Markus’ eyes. Markus’ lips hung centimeters from his own—so close that even in the darkness, he could make up the tiny details—the way the brown locks of his hair hung over his eyes, the eyes themselves, glittering in the darkness, the small smile that still hung over his lips.

It came as a jarring surprise to see that Markus was leaning towards him—and even more so to feel Markus’ lips pressing against his own. It sent a jolt of electricity through Will’s spine, made his vision blur, and his limbs to turn to jelly. He didn’t even respond to Markus until he felt teeth pressing against his bottom lip.

Markus’ kiss was soft and slow, and Will struggled to respond as best he could—wrapping his arms around Markus to hold him closer. Later he’d reflect how his first kiss came so suddenly—and from the person he had yearned to have more. It was surreal—to have Markus here, kissing him. Then the kiss deepened and Will threw every thought away to just feel Markus moving against him.

Markus’ hands roamed his body freely, but Will could not bring himself to mind, even though he did not dare to do the same. He may have been called slow in reacting, but he did not notice Markus’ fingers prying against the seam of his jeans until Markus gave a little grunt.

Eagerly, Will undid his belt, letting it drop to the floor. It was as it gave a heavy _thunk_ on the floor that Will remembered his gun. Will had never seen the other Will carrying a gun, if Markus noticed...

Hastily, he undid the buttons and pushed his jeans lower down, his fingers grasping Markus’ face and gently tilting it upwards to meet his lips.

As they kissed, Markus slid Will’s jeans lower, and Will breathed an internal sight of relief, kicking his sneakers off and the rest of his jeans with it. He hadn’t noticed the gun then. When they broke the kiss to recover their breaths, Will quickly removed his shirt, throwing it over the side of the bed to return his lips to Markus’. It was as they kissed once more than his nerves returned to him full force, and his stomach gave little twitches of discomfort. He was with _Markus_. Markus, half-naked, his skin smooth and soft—softer than he had imagined—the muscles sliding against each other with his movements, the skin rippling in the darkness—when his gaze wandered lowered, it was impossible not to notice Markus’ boxers, and the slight bulge in the fabric.

He wanted to touch Markus, to trace the contours of his body with his fingertips, and feel the smooth muscles underneath the skin. He wanted to press his lips against every nook and cranny, and to see Markus’ smile. More than anything, he wanted to see that smile again. 

“Markus,” he gasped against Markus’ lips, suddenly feeling shy. Markus drew back a little, but his hands did not stop moving—roaming, his fingers tracing along Will’s ribs, and the hands skimming lower to clutch at his hips. “Can I...” his throat tightened, and he couldn’t even seem to speak around the lump in his throat. He swallowed hard, taking a steadying breath. Markus looked amused, smiling and leaning against Will. “Can I touch you?” the words tumbled from his mouth before he had any control. Immediately after they were out, he felt his cheeks grow warm.

As a response, Markus grasped Will’s wrist, his fingers leaving hot trails against Will’s skin. Gently, he moved Will’s suddenly useless arm to his waist, setting the fingers against it, and looking up at Will with a smile. “Do you have to ask?” he hummed, setting his head against Will’s shoulder.

Will felt as if his heart would burst—Markus here, with him. It felt unreal. Of all things, however, what surprised him the most was that Markus _wanted _him. That he wanted Will despite it all—somehow, despite his most wild fantasies, he had never expected the actual Markus to respond to him with so much desire. He had always expected Markus to see him as an anomaly, something to be shunned. He was not, in a way, himself after all—just a copy. And how could Markus want a copy?

But, here, now, in Markus’ room, with the darkness of the night, Markus _wanted_ him. Markus was holding him, pressing against him, smiling at him.

Trying to be gentle, he pushed his fingers between the elastic band of the boxers and Markus’ warm skin. Markus’ breathing was slow and steady in his ear, drawing a smile to his lips. He slid his fingers lower until hair tickled the tips, and he paused there, suddenly unsure of what to do.

“Go on,” Markus urged, bucking his hips the slightest bit beneath Will’s fingers.

Still cautious, Will skimmed further downwards, struggling to hold back a gasp when his fingers skimmed on the flesh of Markus’ member. When Markus did not move, his fingertips moved lower still, tracing the flesh, marveling at the warmth of the skin.

Markus pressed his lips against the side of his throat, and Will felt his heart tighten in his chest once more. His eagerness made him clumsy as he tried to slide the band of the boxers lower along Markus’ hips. Markus did not speak a word on it, and merely set his feet against the bed to lift his hips so Will could slide them to his knees.

Before Markus could say a word, he grasped Markus’ hardening length between his eager fingers. Slowly, he started pumping Markus, becoming increasingly satisfied as Markus’ breathing quickened by his ear, and how his fingers tightened along Will’s muscular arms.

“Get the lube,” he breathed in his ear, and Will felt his stomach drop to his knees.

He had no idea when Markus would keep such a thing. In fact, before this very night, he had never once seen Markus’ room. He knew its location because, one day, through the windows, he had spotted Markus inside, changing his shirt and sighing as Liam tackled his legs, but that was all. He had never thought he’d need to memorize where things were—he knew there was a nightstand next to the bed, had seen when he climbed in through the window, maybe there?

He couldn’t ask Markus, and even if he had the gall to—which he sorely didn’t—he wouldn’t have been able to make himself speak. Struggling not to jostle Markus, torn between listening to his request and to feel Markus’ eager length press against his hands, he finally managed to slide away from him long enough to glance at the nightstand. There were pictures atop, their contents obscured by the darkness, and a clock that ticked on. Underneath the stand, there was a single drawer with a round knob.

He kept one eye on Markus and one eye on the knob as he stretched towards it, trying to detect, by Markus’ expression, if his guess was a wrong or right one. Markus did not seem to find it odd, he smiled, that coy little smile, as Will gently flipped him on his back, to reach over him to the drawer. Once or twice he wrapped his arms to press against Will, but otherwise did not react.

Will priced his fingers against the knob, prying the drawer open, keeping his eyes on Markus. His fingers skimmed against what felt like thousand of miscellaneous objects, which he wouldn’t have been able to name. Some felt like papers, others like bottles or even pens. He fumbled, and Markus noticed because he arched a brow.

Will shot him a nervous smile, and tried to sink his hand deeper into the contents of the drawer. Eventually, his fingers skimmed against a plastic bottle that could be ointment, for all Will knew, but he drew it out all the same, squinting in the darkness to see whatever words would be emblazoned on the bottle.

The light was pale, but he thought the bottle’s contents were yellow. The bottle’s lid was slick with a sticky substance that could still either be face cream or lubricant.

Markus smiled once more, and pressed his lips against Will’s jaw line, wrapping his arms around Will’s midsection, and tugging at him.

Will had no time to puzzle out the bottle’s contents. Praying to whatever force worked out there—certainly not Apep, for one—he screwed the bottle open trying to squeeze a little of it on his fingers to see if he could somehow tell what it was.

He had forgotten, of course, that he had no experience with such subjects. He had never exactly grasped lubricant in his hands, or had a need to—the closest was the one he used to make sure the parts of his gun slid against each other smoothly. He had no way of knowing if the one used for people would feel much the same way, but this was undeniably similar. It was sticky, and his fingers were soon slathered in the substance. Markus did not seem to find it odd, so, encouraged, Will squeezed more out of the bottle, making sure to coat his fingers evenly. 

Markus offered him little pecks on the lips and cheek as Will tried to gather his courage. He could still walk away, leave Markus with his throbbing dick and his coy smiles, but Will did not want to. He was nervous and excited in equal mixes, and his nerves turned his movements twitchy and awkward, but he had no intentions of leaving Markus. Despite all the warnings and alarm bells going off in his head, he never wanted to be apart from Markus. Not now.

With his fingers sticky, he spread Markus’ legs, feeling his cheeks grow hot, his stomach to give a back flip, and his vision to blur at the sight of Markus—the little veins sticking out from his erect dick, the swell of his ass. It suddenly came at him that this was _Markus_ and he was going to do it—despite never having had a single man or woman in his life, he was going to have Markus, here and now.

“Everything OK down there?” Markus voice jolted Will from his thoughts.

“I, ah,” in his hurry to speak, his words tumbled out, loud and sudden. “I just, I t-think—you’re really gorgeous, Markus.”

“You’re talking to the wrong head,” Markus sounded amused.

“No—I—ah, I mean all of you.”

Markus did not reply for such a long time, Will suddenly felt foolish. He struggled to find any words that would fix his blunder, mortified with himself for even daring to speak. Markus would surely decline him now, and he’d leave with the aftertaste of Markus on his lips, and the thought that he had embarrassed himself in front of the person he so doted on.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Markus’ voice was so low, Will would have missed it if he hadn’t been straining his ears in hopes of catching any sound of Markus.

Immediately, blood rushed to his cheeks, and Will did not know where to look. He was relieved too—so relieved. He hadn’t ruined it all, he could still hold Markus in his arms. Before he could gather his wits, he was pressing his lips against Markus’ thighs, a hand grasping the leg to steady it. Carefully, and before he could think twice of what he was about to do, he pushed his fingers against Markus’ entrance. Markus stiffened in surprise under him, but soon relaxed, allowing Will to wiggle the fingers deeper inside. 

He was surprised at how hot it felt. Carefully, he moved the fingers inside, trying whatever made Markus react. Picking himself up, so he was draped over Markus, he continued to move the hand. Markus groaned softly, pulling Will to him so they could kiss. And he did not stop until Markus’ broke the kiss to speak.

“Put it in,” he groaned against Will’s ear, and Will felt a thrill of excitement travel up his spine.

He felt the depths of his inexperience as he looked down at Markus, completely naked but far from vulnerable. His skin was laid out in front of him revealing all the little imperfections that made him feel more real for Will. He tried to quiet his eagerness so he could guide the tip of his very erect and eager length to Markus’ ass. Once he felt sure of the angle, he tried pushing against Markus’ hips.

Will could simply not believe how it all felt—to be completely enveloped in hot warm tissue, to feel Markus shudder beneath him, his arms to wrap around Will and urge him on. Will lost his embarrassment somewhere between the first few cautious thrusts, and Markus urging him to move faster. His voice was all the prompting Will needed to surrender to his baser instincts and thrust against Markus until his hips slammed against Markus’ ass. As his thrusts became more erratic, Markus slid Will’s hand from his side to his length. The message was gathered, and Will tried to pump and tug at Markus’ dick to keep rhythm with his thrusts.

“Faster,” Markus moaned at his ear, and Will felt faint.

Eager to follow Markus’ instructions, he shifted his grasp on Markus until he clutched the hips more firmly, slamming against Markus’ hips until little moans and groaned slipped past both their lips. At some point, Markus guided Will’s hand to his length once more, and Will struggled to pleasure him. He wanted Markus to feel as good and hot as Markus was making him feel.

The muscles tightened in his abdomen, and he felt a flush of something hot and almost painful pour into his groin. He thrust faster, his hand tightened around Markus. The flush of heat reached its peak, and Will sunk his head to Markus’ shoulder as he rid out his orgasm. Markus clutched at him to, pressing his own lips to his shoulder and bucking against Will’s hips.

Markus’ orgasm came soon after Will’s—with a few more tugs at his length, Markus suddenly groaned. A warm stickiness coated Will’s fingers, but he could not bring himself to care. It was Markus—all Markus. Markus around his own now-soft dick, and Markus between his fingers.

Feeling both suddenly exhausted, yet immensely pleased, Will pulled himself out of Markus, feeling his cheeks grow red as he saw his own cum slide between Markus’ legs.

Markus himself did not seem to mind. He nuzzled Will’s shoulder, pinning Will to him. He was pleased, Will realized with a jolt. He was pleased with Will—felt the same fuzzy warmth Will was feeling in his own chest.

Lifting his hand—the one not covered in Markus’ cum—he brushed Markus’ hair from his eyes, smiling at what he saw there.

“I love you,” he said, low and soft, and feeling a warmth in his stomach that he knew could be nothing else. He was happy now—happier that he could ever remember being. With Markus in his arms, he could not fathom anything feeling better.

Markus did not immediately reply, but Will noticed he stiffened in his arms. A wave of regret flowed through him then. Of course Markus would be startled—it had been the wrong time. The wrong thing to say. Markus could hardly return his feelings—if there was anything there, it’d be for the other Will, not him. 

“I’m glad you’re with me,” Markus finally said, nuzzling Will’s shoulder, and grasping Will closer.

And even though Will knew it was a lie—even though he knew he would be away as soon as Markus fell asleep, the only thing he could bring himself to say was:

“I’ll never leave you.”


	6. Bagelbum

“Daddy, w-what does bagelbum mean?”

I half-turned to get a better look at Liam, frowning. “What?”

“Bagelbum,” Liam repeated, “Izaac s-said Apep was a bagelb-bum.”

I felt something like dread settle in the pit of my stomach. I hadn’t heard the term before, which could only mean one thing—it was an affectionate term, and one that Izaac did not want known.

“A nickname, most like,” I told him, pulling him onto my lap, “but try not to say it around other people—Izaac doesn’t like people using it.”

“O-oh,” Liam’s cheeks flushed red, and he pointedly avoided my gaze.

If Izaac had used it in front of Liam, he might have not noticed Liam was there, or otherwise did not care. Even so, I couldn’t see Izaac harming Liam. Apep was head over heels over my child, and Izaac was half-convinced Liam was of his brood as well.

“What happened?”

Liam shifted around, looking at his toes. 

“I m-made a drawing for I-Izaac.”

A drawing? I tried to wrap my head around that, but I couldn’t exactly fathom what could be so—

“I-it was of a b-bagel’s b-butt.”

I stared at Liam. Liam looked at his feet. I wasn’t sure how I didn’t burst out laughing, but I somehow managed to hold the tide of mirth at bay.

“That’s OK, I’m sure Izaac appreciates it.”


	7. Warmth

I knocked on the door, and the cacophony of giggles ceased. There seemed to be a pause, before a voice, high and boyish squeaked:

“Daddy?”

I turned the knob to open the door then, stepping inside Liam’s room, curious.

Inside the room was a mess of clothes and fabric flung to and fro. The curtains had been torn from the windows, and Liam’s clothes peppered the floor. Liam and Malin sat up on the bed—Malin with my sweater covering her slender form (where had she gotten that?), Liam utterly and completely naked.

Between them was a pile of sheets and clothes, slightly taller than they were. There was a circle-shaped hole between the sheets, and within them, two sharp green eyes regarded me curiously.

“Ryuu?” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

Malin looked at me mournfully then, “He’s cold,” she said.

Solemnly, Liam nodded by his side, “We’re hugging him to keep him warm.”

Without another word, Malin crawled to the pile’s side, wrapping her arms around it. Liam hesitated, his eyes fixed on me.

“Do I turn up the heater?” I asked Liam, but he only looked confused.

“We’re keeping Ryuu warm,” he said with a puff of his chest.

I had to smile, “I see.”


	8. Cooing Reptiles

Her scales shone like a pearl, smooth and unmarred by wound or scar of any kind. She would grow up to have a more streamlined build—perhaps built more for dexterity than strength. Her eyes were golden and sharp—like a hawk’s or an eagle, and although she hadn’t been formally tested, she had excellent vision. Unusual for a reptile.

Of course, she’d look more majestic if she wasn’t trashing on Izaac’s lap—rolling over and over, pressing her nose against Izaac’s shirt and cooing. She would only stop to look up at Izaac—splayed on his lap belly-up, eyes wide and curious. The moment only lasted a second, before she growled playfully and went back to trashing and rolling.

Izaac had been slapped thrice now with her thick, long tail, but even then he did not raise protest. Whatever her game was, it clearly was amusing her.

“What is she doing?” Apep peered between the desk and Izaac long enough to catch Roxy at her game, cooing and warbling.

Izaac shrugged, “I think she likes the smell.”

Roxy stopped at the sound of Izaac’s voice, peering at him, snuffling at the air. When Izaac smiled at her, she sneezed.

In the same manner of a dog, she pushed herself up on her back legs, her front resting on Iz’ chest, claws digging into his skin, and stretched herself upwards, trying to lick Izaac’s face. Izaac smiled again, trying to settle her down with pets and scratches behind her ears. Roxy croaked, her wings flapping as she struggled to reach Izaac’s face, her tongue flicking from her mouth until at last she scored skin—which only seemed to excite her more.

“Cutie,” Apep’s voice was high and excited.

As Izaac petted her, she finally settled down, only to splay on his lap and resume her game. This time, she lifted her head long enough to blow a puff of smoke in Apep’s direction, before giving Izaac a coo, and a nip on his shirt, and going straight back to her trashing.


	9. Daddy

He was a slight skinny thing. Barely any meat to his bones—lean and tall for his age. Messy dark hair felt in lose curls over a pair of brilliant green eyes—but the expression in them looked odd. What was it? Desperation? His eyes were wide open, like a frightened rabbit. A wrong move and he would squirrel away.

“Markus?”

A far cry from his father. Sometimes I could see how they had so much in common—how he would even develop the coldness in his gaze, the preciseness of his movements, that would so remind me of Izaac, but at the moment he was nothing except a child. Nervous and tittering—his wings folded and tightly tucked behind his back giving him an even slighter appearance.

It took me a moment to figure out what was amiss in those few syllables he had uttered.

“What’s wrong?” I tried keeping my tone soft and gentle, trying to soothe whatever might be gnawing away at Ryuu.

“You’re not my daddy, are you?”

_Ah_, that was it—he had used my name.

I stopped to gather my thoughts—I had known I should expect that question one day, but I had never quite figured out what I would reply. It had been normal for Ryuu to refer to me as his father—a habit, because his siblings did the very same thing. It would have taken some time for the fact to settle in that something was amiss. I had hoped for more time.

“Do you want me to be?”

The trepidation grew in his eyes. He studied my face in silence for a few breaths before he spoke: “Malin and Liam call you ‘daddy.’”

_Just like his father._

“I can be yours too—if you want.”

He seemed to think about that—turning his eyes away from mine, looking thoughtful. After a moment he nodded, more to himself than anything. “OK,” was the only thing he said, before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against my cheek, “Good luck with work, daddy,” he said, hasty, quickly, nearly stumbling over the words in his haste, before he took a few steps back. He turned around without so much as a glance over his shoulder before he hurried from the room, leaving me slightly taken-aback. Wondering if that had been the right thing to say.


	10. Teenagers, dragons, and toddlers

When Apep had requested that I babysit our children, I hadn’t expected the whole gang.

Honestly, because the only ones that referred to me as their father were Malin and Ryuu.

Roxy, Izaac, and Cat did not recognize me as their dad, nor care much for me. Except maybe Cat a little, but she was an odd one.

So when the gang arrived I was a bit surprised. I also had to marvel the amount of children Izaac had managed to produce with Apep in the span of just a few short years. Cat was tall and slim, Roxy was as large as a horse, and as ill-tempered as a stallion, little Izaac was turning out into quite the voracious toddler. Between them all, I doubted I’d survive the night, never mind the week.

As if to emphasize my point, Roxy sneezed and sparks of flames fizzled out in the air. Malin turned towards her sister looking concerned, and started patting her side. Liam had wasted no time weaseling between Ryuu and Malin.

“Um,” I wasn’t sure how to call their attention—wasn’t even sure I wanted to alert them of my presence.

But still, I tried—

“Everyone all set?”

Malin grinned, Ryuu nodded, Roxy growled something rude-sounding, Cat did not respond, and Izaac flashed a mischievous smirk.

I sighed.

I was in for a very tough few days.


	11. Santa Cookies

_Why does Santa Claus wear red? Why not yellow?_

The tiny squeaky voice in my head could only belong to the tiny yellow snake that was currently curled up on my chest—her tongue flicking out to catch the particles in the air. Her large round eyes unblinking.

“Um, I don’t know,” I admitted. In all honestly, I was at least halfway sure it was simply because it had become the color he was known for.

_I want a yellow Santa costume_.

I tried not pointing out her lack of arms or usable limbs from which such a costume could cling to, instead, I gave a little peace offering:

“How about I make you a hat?”

\--------------------------

“Dad,” a small voice.

“Dad,” the same voice—a little stronger now.

“Dad!”

I had to answer.

A sigh.

“What is it?” I said as gently as I could.

“Dad,” Liam started, eyes watery, “Nana ate all the Christmas cookies.”

I could only stare.


	12. Santa Costume

Of all the things I would never admit out loud, there was one thing I held clear in my mind:

I would never tell my child how ridiculous he looked dressed as Santa Claus.

Liam had refused to stuff pillows on his side, so he had fit two jugs of ice cream within the confines of the suit. Problem number one, it looked ridiculous. Problem number two? The ice cream started melting.

In growing despair, Liam had proceeded to attempt to eat the ice cream as it melted, opening the Santa suit and delving deep within its fabrics to scoop out handful after handful of ice cream and shovel it inside his mouth. Soon enough, however, the ice cream started to dribble down his pants and pool beneath him on the floor. Instead of being dissuaded, Liam then proceeded to shovel ice cream faster, determined to eat it before it melted into a puddle.

“Shouldn’t we—?” Will’s voice at my ear.

“No,” I said simply. Stopping him would only upset him. He was in a pickle, but he at least was enjoying it—giggling at the ice cream tickled his sides.

Then he seemed to notice us watching. With little hurried steps, Liam held up a clump of rapidly melting ice cream in his hands, offering it to me. I instinctively reached forward, offering a hand so Liam could set the ice cream down on my hand. It was only as I felt the cold seeping into my skin that I realized the error of my ways.

“Merry Christmas, daddy,” he said with a small smile.


	13. Vanilla Ice Cream

When I walked into Liam’s room I didn’t exactly expect to see a huge trunk—as thick as a tree—covered in shiny black scales nearly stopping the door from opening completely. It gave me a pause, and made a ball of worry form in my belly. 

I pushed myself between the door and the wall, slipping inside the room, dreading the mess I would see.

The reptile was huge—its trunk curled over each coil. At the very top of the coils, I could see familiar messy hair, sticking up on end as if by static. He did not stir when I peered at him, and I soon noticed why—there was a tub of ice vanilla ice cream as tall as his abdomen next to him over the shiny scales, mouth slathered with the stuff, eyes closed.

Ryuu noticed me, however. The coils shifted the slightest bit, and soon his nose appeared from behind his coils, shortly followed by his head. He stopped there, wary as always, trying not to startle me—his green eyes fixed on me.

“He OK?” I gestured towards Liam.

Ryuu tilted his head and gave a single stiff nod. He did not move more than that.

I reached over to pat his side, “Dinner’s ready, but I guess he doesn’t need it anymore,” I was unsure of what to say—if Ryuu had decided to take his more reptilian guise, he wouldn’t want to shift to a smaller size for something as mundane as food. I supposed I could bring him something to eat anyway, but would he eat it?

“You hungry?”

He seemed to regard me for a few heartbeats before finally shaking his head—his black tongue flicking out.

I mumbled some form of farewell before exiting the room, making sure to shut the door behind me.

It was only then that I realized Liam had been naked.


	14. Babysitter’s Woes

The child grinned from where he sat—unusually bright eyes glittering with mischief. Markus didn’t have to be told twice to know to keep his distance, but even so, there was something that drew him forward. The gaze was mischievous, sure, but more in that way of a small playful child plotting how to drag you into its game rather than the flashes that Ryuu or even Ashlin would give when a particular thought struck.

Something about him unsettled Markus, however. It was not anything he could see, but rather what he couldn’t see. To top that off, this was _Izaac’s_ child. He could be as sweet as flossed sugar and Markus would still have his doubts.

Then he moved from where he sat up on Malin’s bed, something shifted under the covers and the child very literally wiggled out of them—

From his waist up there was nothing but smooth skin, but, starting at his hips, where the bones swelled to make room for the organs, instead of two pudgy child legs, it swelled up and was covered with shiny ebony scales. No legs, but rather a long smooth tail.

Now, instead of a small innocent smile, Markus could see the hint of tiny sharp teeth poking out from their gums.

Suddenly, he didn’t want to walk towards the child anymore.

Like his father, Izaac had a keen knack for getting in trouble. He was fascinated—almost attracted by the prospect of danger. Maybe it was that adrenaline rush, the feeling of weightlessness at the pit of your stomach, the breath catching in your throat—maybe it all produced a sharp sensation they were both loath to find elsewhere.

So when Markus saw the knife held before them, he was unsurprised to note the wicked grin that slowly crept to the child’s face.

He may be wheelchair bound (though there was certainly much more to that mystery that the eye could see), but that didn’t stop him for opening his mouth, and the remark that slid from his lips was so like what his father would have said that, for a moment, Markus found himself disoriented.

“I’ve seen sharper toys given to two year olds.”

The kid was going to get them killed.

Instinct propelled Markus’ arms forward, he grasped the back of the wheelchair, fully intent in getting the fuck away from there by any means possible. Of course, little Izaac had other plans. He leaned forward, fingers lightly grasping the man’s hand. Naturally, the man stumbled back, but not fast enough. Izaac gave the wrist a sudden sharp twist, and Markus heard the familiar sound of bone snapping.

A gasped scream followed by a gasp as a scaly tail wrapped around the man’s ankle and gave it a firm yank to swipe his feet from under him. The man hit the ground with a dull thud. Something silver glinted as it caught the light. It took a moment for Markus to realize it was the knife, and by then it had clattered to the floor.

Markus was never babysitting this kid ever again


	15. Puppy Woes

Out of all the things to expect, what I certainly hadn’t expected was a small stubby dog with heavy feathering to walk in, barking, and hopping, when I called Liam to breakfast.

It was small, incredibly so—with stubby legs, a small snout, short and straight triangle-like ears, and large pale almond eyes. The markings were grey with a sheen of blue and darker messy spots over it—was merle the word for it? It was a toy breed of dog, though the name escaped me at the moment. 

It squealed to a halt before me, craning its little head upwards and wagging its tail. When I didn’t immediately react, the dog offered another yappy bark.

_Pomeranian._ That was the name of the breed. Though, I couldn’t recall ever seeing it in that color.

Immediately after it, a familiar figure burst into the room—tall and dark-haired, with a grin that made me flinch.

“When did _you_ get here?” I shot at Apep, ignoring the little dog by my feet.

Apep stopped, straightened up, and smiled at me. “Just last night.”

“What _are_ you doing here?” though, I had a sneaking suspicion of what his intention could be.

“Playing with Liam,” he said, gesturing at the small dog.

“Liam...?” I turned my eyes back to the little dog. At the sound of its name, it barked once more, hopping on its back legs and setting the tiny front paws against my leg. Its tail wagged behind it.

Oh, heavens no.

“Apep...” but before I could finish my sentence, the little dog barked once more.

_Daddy!_

There was no arguing it: that _was _Liam’s voice floating up to my head. I tried to zero in on it—trying to pick from where it was coming from.

_Daddy, I can bark! Daddy, I want to bark! Can I bark, daddy? I like barking!_

And immediately after, the little dog by my feet threw its head back and gave another yappy bark.

_Oops! I barked, daddy!_

My son. My sweet child. My little Liam. Why did a demon have to be so obsessed with you?

“What _did _you _do_ to him?” I turned to Apep with a snarl on my lips. Not that I thought it’d have much effect.

“I thought he’d make a high quality stud—and look! He does. Isn’t he about the cutest dog you’ve seen?” he gushed, dropping to his knees next to Liam and running his fingers through his fur.

Eager to get my son away from Apep, I bent at the waist and scooped the dog into my arms. Liam was eager, digging his little nails into my forearms and hopping in place. With difficulty, I managed to settle him against the crook of my arm before lifting him—feeling his over-excited thoughts jabber on in my mind in a senseless slew of sounds and emotions.

Unsurprisingly, he barked. A lot.

“You’re not whoring off my son as a _dog,_” I hissed, taking a wary step away from Apep.

“Does that mean I can whore him off if he’s not a dog?” he grinned.

“_No._”

Regardless of my past career, I thought there was a subtle difference between choosing to have sex for money, and being turned into a dog and forced to do it. I didn’t even know before this moment that was a position to _consider_.

He pouted, taking a step towards me, “Aw, c’mon, Markus. I spent a lot of time on that spell—I even made sure to ask Liam what breed he wanted to be. His genes kinda screwed it up a little, but he’s pretty much a perfect example of the breed.”

Was that supposed to make me feel better?

“Take it off,” I hissed, petting the little excited dog as it barked on and on in my arms.

_I’m barking, daddy!_

I wanted to go sleep now.

“Why? That took a lot of work, y’know,” he pouted, his eyes getting all wide and teary, “it’ll wear off by itself.”

“How long?” another step back, Liam continued yapping in my arms.

“A week or so,” Apep took another step forward, fingers trying to reach for my dogified son, “c’mon, Markus. Look how happy it is.”

This is Liam! I wanted to scream, of course he’s happy, he doesn’t think things through!

_Do you like my barking, daddy?_

Liam...

“Of course I do,” I told the tiny dog, scratching him on his little fat head, and running my hands along his back.

That seemed to please him—he smacked me a few times in the chest with his wagging tail and barked once more.

Will won’t be happy about this.

“Fine,” I finally conceded—I’d just make sure to keep my son happy and comfortable while in teeny tiny barky form, “but you’re not breeding him.”

Apep pouted, but he did not protest. I doubted that would be the end of that, however—something in the way he kept greedily looking over the dog told me he’d be back.

He was tuckered out by the time Markus managed to shove Apep out the door with a hurried good-bye. He, of course, dreaded every passing second, as Apep had said, in that joking way of his, that he’d be back—and, oh, better watch Liam.

Markus had every intention of keeping his eye on his child from the start, but the warning made him all that more determined to see it through. In no way, shape, or form, was he even fleetingly prepared to care for a dog—no leashes, or collars, or dog foods, or even dog combs in sight, and judging by the amount of fluff and feathering that covered Liam’s tiny body, there would be a lot of that, but he’d sure as hell try.

So, when Liam flopped on his side on the floor, Markus judged it was bed time. He was torn, of course—dogs could sleep comfortably in carpeted floors, but this wasn’t just any dog—it was his own child. Tinier, yappier, and fluffier, but it was definitely Liam.

With a sigh, he sunk to his knees next to the snoozing dog, and ran his fingers through the soft fur. Liam did not stir as Markus stroked his side, and Markus could not hear anything ticking off in his head that indicated an attempt from Liam’s behalf to communicate. He really had fallen asleep then.

But just like that, someone shrieked a few doors away—most likely one of the children—and Liam jumped to attention—his round little eyes wide, and his fur bristling. He looked from side to side before turning to look at Markus.

_Daddy, I didn’t bark._

“No,” Markus kept his voice low and his tone, gentle. He continued stroking Liam’s back, hoping to smooth back the fur over his shoulders. “Don’t want to?”

_I do,_ the little dog blinked at him,_ can I bark, daddy?_

The bark was too yappy, and it was about to give Markus a headache, but somehow, with Liam’s warm eyes on him, he could say nothing. Seeing Liam wagging his tail with his little yips, it was impossible to do anything _but_ encourage him.

“Go ahead.”

And with those words, the little dog started a string of high-pitched short barks that made someone next door groan in frustration. Liam’s tail wagged behind him, and when he spotted the appendage, he twirled in a circle to chase the wagging tail, still barking.

_Daddy, look, it’s a thing!_

Despite his better knowing, Markus smiled.

At least until Liam tripped over his small paws with a yelp.

Markus immediately moved to his side, scooping up the little dog in his arms. Liam trashed against Markus’ hold, his stubby little legs waving in the air, but Markus did not give away an inch. Carefully, he ran his hands through Liam’s paws until he made sure there was no harm, then pressed his fingers against his side and tail.

When his inspection was done, Liam had given up, and he lay limp on Markus’ arms, his head to the side and his jaws parted in a pant. His little pink tongue hung over the side of his muzzle, and he struggled to wag his tail—pinched beneath his own weight as it was.

_Don’t tickle me, daddy_.

That was why he was struggling then.

“That tickled?”

_Yeah. Can I bark again?_

Markus bit back a sigh. “Sure.”

His tail furiously trying to wag under him, Liam let out a string of yaps that could have woken the dead. Markus leaned back until he was sitting, stroking the dog’s belly and throat while Liam barked. Once the urge wore away, he rested on Markus’ arms, panting.

_Can I sleep with you, daddy?_

It was hard to say how that was still a question—Markus never said no to Liam. Babied puppy, this one.

“Of course.”

_Can I show Will my barking?_

“I’m sure he’d love that,” Markus answered quickly, before Liam could grow suspicious.

Liam seemed to like that, he closed his eyes and thumped his tail against Markus’ arms a few times.

Shortly after, he fell asleep once more, tuckered out in Markus’ arms. Carefully, Markus balanced the puppy and struggled to stand, setting a foot against the floor and pushing himself to his knees. He was sure Liam would wake once he swayed precariously on his feet, but the dog didn’t even stir.

Gently, Markus set him down on the bed, putting his head on Will’s pillow, and dragging the sheet over the dog’s chest. Markus had to pause to marvel at how small he was—he hadn’t expected for Liam to wind up so tiny and fragile—

But he shouldn’t think of that. As soon as he made sure the dog was settled comfortably on the bed, Markus climbed besides him, throwing an arm over Liam and tucking him to his chest. Liam’s ear twitched, and a leg kicked out, but he did not wake.

Now there was only one problem: how to explain this to Will.

It looked like a long carpet of blue-grey and white, stretching across the sofa and successfully hogging every piece of seating. The dog—for it was a dog—was built like a runner. It had a lean frame and long legs with a stream-lined head and small ears to the side of its head. On top of it, huddled a smaller ball of similar color, curled into itself so that one could only see two stubby triangle-shaped ears poking out from the top of its skull.

“What’s happening here?” Ethan turned to Noah, a question in his eyes.

Not surprisingly, Noah was not listening to him. He rushed to the dogs’ sides, a hand on the fluffy Pomeranian, and another on the borzoi’s side, stroking the smooth fur and grinning.

“Puppies!” he yelped, nearly fainting when the little Pomeranian lifted its head at the sound of his voice, and the borzoi blinked sleepily at him. “We have puppies!”

Ethan could not even bring himself to speak—he simply stared at Noah, hoping the world fell back into place.

The incessant barking of a small pup.

The barely suppressed groans of a sleepless setter.

The clueless happy pants of a hairless little dogs.

The rising headache of a poor unfortunate fellow—me.

Between three dogs I’ve barely had the chance to sleep in nearly a week now. Apep’s doggy curse seemed to spread like a disease—orphans had turned into dogs, pets had turned into dogs. The only ones saved seemed to be dogs.

And me.

Noah and Ethan were trying their best to battle the issue, but it was a difficult thing to do. Indra tried helping, but with so many tails to squish around, he did not dare try his wheelchair, so he was mostly water bound. Not that it meant he was useless—far from it. We already had entirely too many water retrievers that needed to spend their energy.

From her perch in my lap, Nana quietly observed her surroundings. She was the newest addition to our ever-expanding kennel. A gorgeous little Chinese crested with gorgeous ivory fur covering her eats and tail. When I stroked it, it was silky and soft.

If there was one small blessing, it was how well Nana was handling it.

Tez was another matter entirely. The little dragon did not appreciate what was happening to his siblings, and when Liam howled, he’d pick up a cry that was half a shriek, half a bird song, and I would slowly feel my hopes disintegrate.

Will mostly groaned and slept all day. He had rolled in paint earlier, and when I scolded him, he got a boner. I still wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“When I see Apep again,” I hissed, but I knew what I would do: nothing. Apep could take it as a sign to turn us all into dogs for another month. I wasn’t looking forward to all the poop.


	16. Canine Spells

A small slight dog stood before him in a field of bright green grass under a cloudless deep blue sky. The dog was brown, with patches of both darker and lighter brown over its shaggy curly coat. It had a thin muzzle with erect triangle ears and warm brown eyes. When it spotted Markus, its tail started wagging behind it, head cocked curiously to the side.

The wind was strong here—the breeze rippled through the grass and buffeted Markus, nearly sending him stumbling back. More importantly, the wind brought a scent to him—familiar, eerily familiar. It reminded him of a place—the floor was cold, and the air made goose bumps rise in his skin, but there was the smell of something warm next to him, of bed sheets under his back, and a sun casting a slanted light through the window.

Markus opened his mouth to speak, but all that came from his throat was a whine—long and drawn out, and unlike anything that had ever leaped from his lips. Startled, he took a step back, and tried again, but the same sound emerged, this time lower, more guttural.

The dog’s tail stopped wagging, yet it still watched him. It looked expectant.

The idea that the dog might be able to help made Markus take a step forward—the dog, something about its eyes were so familiar—

The wind buffeted him again, strong, forcing him to screw his eyes shut for fear of bugs and debris flying to his face and stinging his eyes. When he opened his eyes again he was looking at his hands set against the ground except—

They _weren’t_ his hands. They were smaller, gray, covered in fur, with thin pale nails sticking out from four shapely toes. Startled, Markus yelped, taking a step back, and the odd feet moved with him. When one slammed against the ground he felt it jolt his whole body. 

Startled and wide-eyed, he cast his glance upwards, searching for the brown dog. It was there, taking cautious steps towards him, its tongue lolling out from its open maw, and its tail wagging excitedly behind it. When Markus continued to stare, it gave a sharp little bark.

Markus tried stepping away, but ended up tripping—his foot caught on a pebble that sent him tumbling to his side. He yelped, loud and sudden, and struggled to rise but failed. Trashing, he managed to crane his head to look at the tangle his feet had become, only to see silvery grey fur tracing every inch of his body. His legs had changed in shape as well—strong and long calf muscles on a knee with straight and elongated hocks ending on a paw. To help matters, a tail, lean with long hairs trailing from it, sprouted from his furry rump.

He yelped again, struggling to get away from the sight of the fur. His front paws dug into the ground, scrambling for purchase. The effort made his jaws part in heavy pants that shook his whole frame, and little whimpers to break past his throat.

Before he could make another effort to stand, the other dog was there—pushing its wet nose at him and licking his snout and forehead. It whimpered when Markus whimpered, pressing its nose against Markus. Its ears were pushed back, but its tail wagged, earnest in his comfort.

And the small was so familiar, that Markus surrendered to the ministrations, allowing the dog’s licks and gentle nosing to soothe him, because nothing else could. At the dog’s urgings, he sunk to his side, letting it snuggle against him, seeking the warmth of his fur.

The smell was familiar too—tousled brown hair, bright mischievous dark eyes, and a little quirk of a smile. He lay back on the pillows, naked as the day he was born, holding up his arms for Markus, and welcoming him to his embrace. Markus had missed that—missed it so much. To be held by those welcoming arms, and feel him shift, and moan, and tremble under him—he had almost forgotten what it felt like, but with the little dog pressing against him, the memories suddenly came back, so vivid that they brought tears to Markus’ eyes—

_Jo_—

When he awoke the sheets were tousled about him, and his body was covered in a thin film of sweat. Gingerly, Markus pushed himself up to sit, running his fingers through his skin to confirm that no grey silvery fur was covering his limbs. When he realized his face felt sticky and warm, he brought the fingers to touch at his cheeks, the fingers coming out wet with tears.

Liam’s little body shifted besides him, the fur tickling his arm.


	17. Dreams

The sunlight tickled his face, forcing a slight groan to pass by his lips. He struggled to remain asleep at first, turning his face away, and shifting slightly in his seat, but the sun would not relent. With another soft groan, he blinked, squinting up at the sunlight and straightening in his chair.

He was sitting on the balcony from his hotel room—a charming suite with a large bed, a TV, a dresser, a closet, a microwave, and a door that led to the bathroom. It wasn’t altogether that large, but the no one would have been able to say it wasn’t grand. The carpet was of threaded gold and rich reds, stretching and spiraling away into wild symbols and scenery representing a field of flowers. The furniture was of rich mahogany, and the bed had such plush sheets and pillows that Markus could practically melt in to.

The view from the balcony was amazing too.

Italy was much warmer than he was used to, but it had its own sort of beauty. The buildings stood in charming colors, with vines artfully tangled over the little gardens of the houses. From where he sat, he could see the deep blue of the ocean, and the edge of brown sand that lined it. So far, besides a bit of the heat, he had no complaints about Italy, though he had only wandered from his room once or twice. Curiosity, more than anything, but the heat made it so he tired much quicker, and would soon surrender to the comfort of his bed.

He grew aware, as he squinted at the tops of the houses, that there was someone else in the room. He heard the sound of fabric sliding, and heard the thud of footsteps. Stretching his arms in his seat, Markus leaned forward, looking over his shoulder to where he gauged the sounds were coming from.

His eyes met with smooth unmarred skin, the bulge of powerful muscles on his abdomen, and the slight swell of the ribs. He was removing his shirt as Markus watched—his head poking out from beneath the hem and giving a weary sigh.

Will deposited the shirt over the foot of the bed, turning his attention to his belt. He fiddled with the latch, giving another of those weary sighs as he draped the belt—guns and all—over the shirt. He did not seem to notice Markus watching him.

“Did work not go well?” Markus kept his voice low and his tone neutral, but he knew Will would hear him.

Sure enough, Will’s head snapped up, his eyes growing wide and turning to look at Markus. “I thought you were out,” he smiled, stepping forward to close the distance between himself and Markus.

“Nah, just sleeping,” Markus returned his smile, feeling a fuzzy warmness spread through his stomach.

Will stopped next to him, bending at the waist to place a light peck on Markus’ lips. From this close up, Markus could see the lines of weariness on his face—there were bags under his eyes, and though he smiled, it had a tired quality to it.

“What happened?” he lifted his hand to place it on Will’s cheek, urging him to speak.

“Negotiations got a little hairy,” Will always kept the details vague, though Markus supposed he had good reason to—as he said himself, the less Markus knew, the better, “I might need to stay here longer than I thought...” his voice dropped, and Markus knew something was wrong.

He could not remember the plane ride—Will had said that he had slept through much of it, which didn’t entirely surprise him. He remembered arriving in the hotel, however—and Will’s tender words and warm kisses. He could remember that night rather vividly, and the way Will pressed against him—the glazed look in his eyes and his hurried breath. He also remembered the small chat afterwards, in which Will explained more or less the purpose of their trip, and when Markus would return home.

Markus didn’t entirely mind—Will always made sure he could always call Liam, and Liam himself was with his siblings. He’d be safe, and didn’t seem to begrudge Markus his free time—of course, Markus was painfully aware that it was a dream. As vivid and realistic as it was, it was entirely too pleasant to be anything else, but that did not mean he couldn’t enjoy it.

They were supposed to return home to Liam in two days, but if Will’s work would get him stuck...

“I don’t mind,” Markus murmured, pulling Will to him once more.

Will smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly, “You need to go back,” he said, “Liam needs his daddy.”

Markus bit his lip, chewing on it as he thought. He knew he’d have to go back, that he’d eventually have to wake up but…

“Take me to bed,” he said softly, “I want you.”

Will gasped, his eyes widening, but he did not move. His large eyes watched Markus carefully, and soon, the smile stretched across his lips, lighting up his whole face.

“I can do that,” his words barely left his lips, soon after, he was pressing them to Markus’ own, wrapping his strong arms around him.

Will shifted under me, lifting his face so our eyes could meet. In that instant, I felt his muscles grow tense and his breath to hitch in his throat—there was something wrong.

I waited, eyes wide, for his words to come—dreading the worst.

“Liam called,” he said suddenly, “earlier—I’m so so sorry, I forgot to tell you. He told me he drew you—or me—or something. I don’t remember.”

I frowned, propping my chin against his bare chest, arching a single brow. “Isn’t it like 2 AM?”

He blushed furiously.

“It is—I just—you were giving me those smiles, and I just wanted to hold you a little. I don’t know how I forgot—I-I—”

“Don’t worry,” I hummed, pressing my lips to his chest, smiling, “I’ll call him in the morning.”

“You’re not mad?”

I smiled, “Of course not. You remembered, at least.”

His relieved smile warmed my heart. I leaned into him, smiling and trailing kisses on his collarbone and throat.

“I want to go again.”

Will’s eyes widened as he looked up at me—and I was amused to note an impressed spark in his eyes.

Truth be told, I couldn’t have begun to explain were all this sudden lust was coming from, but I knew it was from _somewhere_. I felt ready and raring to go—and ready to feel Will’s hips against mine. It didn’t matter that we had just finished, I was somehow hardly satisfied.

And my body showed it too—with large saucer-like eyes, Will grasped my erection, his fingers skimming against the flesh.

I groaned.

He gave me a few slow tugs, dragging his fingers slowly along my length, and I found myself gritting my teeth in frustration. When my hips started moving, trying to thrust against his fist, he withdrew his hand.

“If you’re sure...” I wasn’t sure why he was hesitating, but I could not be patient enough for it.

“Now,” I told him, setting my hands against his shoulders, and my knees to either side of him. Wordlessly, I reached behind me to grasp his cock—chubby, hardening. I could fix that in no time at all.

His eyes were still wide as his hands grasped my hips, trying to help me keep my balance. “You just look kinda feverish.”

“Just fuck me, OK?” I didn’t think I’d get snappy and impatient because of a sausage between my legs...

So I leaned forward against his chest, discreetly pressing myself against his belly, and leaning close enough to kiss.

“I want this,” I gasped once the kiss was broken, smiling down at him.

“I-I do too,” he stammered. When I reached for his cock again, he was hard.


	18. Children and Candy

“...It felt really good though, and Ryuu was really happy, right, Ryuu?”

The boy in question lifted his head with that slack uninterested expression that was so characteristic to see in him. It did not take a genius to see that he had not been following the conversation at all—simply reacted to the sound of his name. He looked blankly at his sister, the fork hovering in the air, with yellow scrambled eggs resting on it.

Malin scowled when she caught sight of his expression, “Honestly, were you even paying attention to me?”

“I was eating,” his tone was apologetic. He cast his gaze to his plate reminding me of a scolded puppy.

“I was telling daddy about last week,” she said again, this time offering him a small smile.

“Oh,” was all the boy had to say about that, and he scooped the food into his mouth, chewing on his eggs.

The reaction seemed to please Malin, because she turned her eyes back to me with a smile. “What do you think, daddy?”

I felt all eyes on the table turn to me. We sat on the cafeteria room with our respective breakfasts. As was custom, we all clustered on the same table to enjoy our meals. On such occasions, when Malin and Ryuu came to visit, it was custom that Malin would be the center of attention, alternating places only for her two brothers, but usually leading the conversation. Her subjects of could be anything from clothes to murder, and it kept things quite exciting—or at least, Noah thought so.

I sat by the table’s end, with William sitting to my left and Liam at the edge to my right. Directly in front of me, and next to Liam sat Malin, and to her side, her brother, Ryuu. Ethan sat next to Ryuu, pointedly looking at his breakfast and trying to avoid Malin’s attention. Directly in front of Ethan sat Noah—a wide goofy grin of his face. He had been listening, entrapped, to Malin’s tale, but now his eyes were fixed on me.

From where I sat I could also see Jaime and Nat by the end of the table, thankfully, not staring at me. They were chattering about something, Nana draped over Nat’s bow and peering into its depths searching for food. I could spot a few other familiar faces, but it only seemed to be this lovely pack that had all eyes fixed on me—grinning shark grins.

The only exception was Liam, who looked clueless and maybe a bit confused (no surprises there), and Ryuu who kept going through his food at his own leisure, unaware of the sudden change in atmosphere. Or maybe ignoring it to avoid being dragged into the problem.

“I think that’s nice, Malin,” I spoke up after a long pause, unsure of what to say, “as long as you and Ryuu are both happy.”

She smiled then—big and excited, and turned to Ryuu, putting her hand over the hand that had been previously resting on the table. At her touch, Ryuu looked up, and his fingers automatically entwined around hers.

“Did you hear that?” she chattered, “Daddy says it’s fine!”

To the surprise of everyone on the table, Ryuu leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on her lips. He turned back to his food right after, but his fingers were still tangled around Malin’s.

Before anyone could speak a word, Noah squealed: “Cute!” Ethan shot him an odd look, but otherwise did not react.

“Did you tell your parents too?” Will directed the question to Malin—a wise decision. Ryuu was definitely not a talker.

“Yup! Daddy was real happy,” Malin said with a grin. It was impossible to say which of them—I could see both Izaac and Apep acting excited over the prospect. Especially that Apep.

“Are we having a party?” Liam directed the question to Ryuu. In response, Ryuu scowled, shaking his head—eyes flicking towards Malin.

“I don’t know!” upon Malin’s words, Ryuu’s scowl turned into an outright glare in his brother’s direction, “Are we, daddy? Will can be the maid.”

“What?” the look Will shot Malin could only be read as horrified surprise.

She, of course, ignored him, “I think he’d look cute in a maid outfit, daddy, pl_eaaase_.”

Sadly, she was asking the wrong father, “I’ll see, but if he says no, that’s that.”

“Maybe a butler,” suggested Ryuu in his mild manner.

“I think he’d look quite strapping in a suit,” Malin agreed with a grin, “Noah can be the maid then.”

“Is it a costume party?” Noah squeaked. I couldn’t tell if he had heard the fate Malin was planning for him or not. I could see him getting excited over being smuggled into a maid’s dress.

Malin turned her eyes from Noah to me, “Oh, please, daddy, can we?”

How was I supposed to say no to that? “I don’t know, Malin. We don’t have the funds...” what was the point of this party again? Celebrating Malin and Ryuu finally becoming an official couple or just on a whim?

“Dad will pay,” Ryuu said to his eggs. The eggs did not reply to him, but he did have a point. Izaac would not deny his daughter any of her whims.

“What will I be dressed as?” Liam had his eyes fixed on his siblings. I almost had to sigh—was he _trying_ to call his own doom to him?

Malin took the question very seriously. She sized up Liam, a small frown over her brows. She tilted her head this way and that as she thought, then she finally said: “A sex slave!”

I felt my eyes widen. Besides me, William’s head snapped up. Noah giggled, and Ethan pushed back on his seat.

“I don’t want to be a _slave_,” Liam protested.

“You’ll be _my_ slave, so there will be nothing to worry about,” Malin said with a very serious nod.

I had my doubts. Izaac wasn’t exactly known for being the best example on how to treat his sexual partners. Apep was even worse. I supposed it was something they had in common.

“Maybe we can look up some costumes catalogues later and everyone can have a pick,” I suggested.

“Will’s going to be my butler,” Malin insisted, puffing her cheeks.

“If he consents,” I reminded her.

“He will,” Ryuu added helpfully. Not.

“Will has no free-will,” Malin said with a sweet smile.

My children, ladies and gentlemen. Weren’t they the most wonderful thing?

“We’ll see,” I made myself say. To my side, Will stared glumly at his breakfast. I felt like he wanted to say something, but risking becoming the subject of Malin’s scorn was simply not worth it. Liam was the twin-image of Will as he ate. A comforting thought.

“Maybe we can dress you as a soccer player,” Noah was telling Ethan.

“I _am_ a soccer player,” Ethan shot back.

Ah, yes. Home sweet home.

“How did you meet Ethan then?” after the discussion of the party had died down, to my surprise, Malin turned her attention to Noah.

“Uh, well,” Noah stammered, his eyes going to Ethan and a grin slithering his way into his lips, “I was there minding my own business, then he fished me out with candy.”

Malin frowned, “Candy?” she sounded as confused as most people would feel upon listening to the tale.

“Yup! Really good candy too.”

“And you didn’t know him before then?”

“Nope!” he answered cheerfully.

Malin frowned at that, suddenly thoughtful. Her eyes flicked from Noah to Ethan, trying to slide down on his chair in hopes Ryuu’s profile would obscure him from sight.

“Daddy said not to take candy from strangers.”

For good reason too—look where it ended up our dear friend Noah.

“Well, yeah. I guess you shouldn’t,” Noah said with a shrug.

“He said if a stranger ever offered me candy that I should shoot them in the nuts.”

No doubt of which dad she was talking about. I think I needed to have a chat with Izaac about his parenting techniques.

“Yeah,” Ryuu said with a nod, always the supportive sibling. No surprises there.

“I didn’t bring my gun with me this time,” Malin said with a pout. She seemed to think on that for a few breaths, then leaned over the table, glaring at Ethan, “I’ll bring it next time.”

“What?” Ethan squeaked.

“Someone needs to shoot you in the nuts.”

“I need those,” his protests were weak.

“No,” she hissed, “you offered candy to Noah. Some_one_ needs to shoot you in the nuts.”

“Malin, princess, that won’t be necessary,” Will tried to soothe her.

“Daddy, I don’t like your boytoy,” she hissed so viciously, that I felt Will recoil the slightest bit besides me. “Ethan’s a nasty pedophile.”

“Hey, so is your daddy!” Noah protested.

Apep, of course. Millennia old demon paired with a tiny fragile human.

Malin looked absolutely livid, her glares giving Noah a pause.

“I’m bringing my gun next time,” she said under her breath. Both her brothers offered supportive nods.

My dearest children psychopathic children—why did Izaac and Apep have to ruin them so?


	19. Panty Monster

“Daddy, how come I’ve never seen you with a boner?”

I looked up from my desk, nearly yelping out in surprise when my eyes met with Malin’s curious ones. She was leaning over the desk—odd, because I hadn’t heard her walk in—and was, unsurprisingly, naked. Her hair hung in rivulets to cover her chest, but beyond that, I had quite a nice view of everything.

“I don’t understand boners,” I told her, leaning forward to press a kiss on her forehead.

“Me neither—but my other daddies get them. Why not you?”

I blinked at her, trying not to flinch away from her gaze. Doing that would be like inviting a wolf to dinner.

“I don’t know,” I kept my tone neutral, unsure of what she was trying to reach with this train of thought.

“Liam has a small penis,” she said.

Well.

Of course he did, he was a child.

Though, I couldn’t very well tell her that.

“What did your brother do this time?” I grumped, trying to mentally prepare myself for the mess that would surely come out of this.

“He forgot to put on pants or underwear,” Malin said, a small smile hovering over her lips. “He also was wearing one of my panties over his head.”

No question on who did that, though...

“Is he hurt?”

“Well, he smacked his head against a few walls, but he’s OK. I put more panties on him.”

I sighed.

“Malin, princess, don’t tease your brother.”

Her eyes grew wide, and her lips parted in mock-surprise. “Oh, daddy! I love Liam—I’d never tease him.”

Uh-huh.

“Just play nice, and ask Will about boners—not me!”

She smiled, delighted, “OK, daddy. I love you,” and with those heart-warming words, she climbed down from the desk and flashed me her cute little butt as she ran from the room.


End file.
